Aftermath
by h3ymrsunshine
Summary: *ON HIATUS* Ginny/Hermione story set after the Battle of Hogwarts. May change rating to M later.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, I am just borrowing them from J. K. Rowling for a bit of fun.**

**This story is going to be set mostly after the end of the books (I'm ignoring the epilogue obviously) but this first chapter is made up of short snippets spanning from the summer after Hermione's 2nd year to the Battle of Hogwarts. The main events of the books still happen pretty much exactly as they were written, these little snippets shouldn't really change much, they just set up Ginny and Hermione's relationship for future chapters. ****Please let me know if I need to clarify anything.**

* * *

Hermione Granger arrives at the Burrow a few weeks into the summer after her second year and is shocked at the state of the girl whose room she will be sharing. Ginny Weasley is pale from months of staying indoors and so thin that she may float away in a particularly strong gust of wind. Her copper hair hangs limply past hunched shoulders and her bright brown eyes are distant and unfocused.

Ginny has been home for a few weeks and while Hermione did not expect her to be completely recovered from Tom Riddle's possession she certainly was not expecting this. She mentions her concern to Harry and Ron but they shrug their shoulders and change the subject. Although Hermione does not know Ginny well she cannot stand to see the girl so depressed and takes it upon herself to try snapping her out of it. Every day she talks to Ginny while the redhead stares out the window, showing no sign that she is listening to Hermione's words. Hermione pauses for Ginny to answer questions or give input but when the younger girl remains silent she continues undeterred. Anyone listening to Hermione's one-sided questions might think the thirteen year-old is quite insane. Occasionally she brings up the sports section of the Daily Prophet and reads Ginny the articles dealing with Quidditch. Hermione does not enjoy or even completely understand Quidditch but she knows Ginny likes it and she can tell the younger girl pays attention when it is read.

After a week of doing this Ginny starts responding to some of Hermione's questions. At first it is short, one word answers in a monotone voice but it is a step in the right direction. After that Ginny progresses at a much faster rate and by the time her birthday comes around in August she is back to normal. Ginny fills out as she begins to eat full meals and her bright brown eyes once more shine with mischief. She starts heading outside every afternoon to fly and her skin gains color from the time she spends in the sun. While Ginny flies, Hermione sits under the shade of a large tree with a book that she usually ends up ignoring in favor of watching Ginny zoom around on her brother's Cleansweep. She marvels at how skilled Ginny is on a broom, cutting through the air with grace and power far beyond anything Hermione has seen from the other Hogwarts teams. In the mornings the two of them spend time studying, Hermione helps Ginny review lessons she can not quite remember from her time under Tom Riddle's influence. Hermione likes studying with the petite redhead because unlike Harry and Ron, Ginny enjoys her studies and puts a lot of effort into them. She is a remarkably bright girl and by the end of the summer she has already started reading her second year books.

* * *

Mrs. Weasley cries when she takes Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley children to Platform 9 ¾. She hugs Ginny for so long that the poor girl almost misses the train. Ginny is nervous about heading back to Hogwarts, a place that now holds so many awful associations, but she puts on a brave place as she climbs onto the train. The second the other students notice her they started pointing and whispering to each other. For a second Ginny feels like turning around and running off the train but then Hermione grabs her hand and the moment passes.

A few hours into the trip the train comes to a halt. Without warning the lights go out and the air turns cold. Hermione notices Ginny turn pale in the seat next to her but the girl is otherwise still and silent. Just as she is about to get up and check what is happening outside the compartment she sees a shadow outside the door. As the door slides open to reveal a dark, shrouded figure Ginny grows even paler and starts shaking like a leaf. Hermione slips her arm around the younger girl and looks across the compartment to see that Harry has fainted. She hears a deep voice shout an unfamiliar spell and when she looks back towards the doorway she sees a silvery fog dissipating as the figure retreats. Ginny has stopped shaking but is now sobbing into her shoulder. The spell was cast by the man who had been sleeping in the corner of their compartment. He tells the students that the creature in the doorway was a dementor and gives them all pieces of chocolate before heading out to speak with the driver. Hermione rubs her friend's back soothingly and whispers calming words into her ear until she settles down. That night in the common room Ginny tells Hermione about how the dementor brought forth terrible memories from her first year. The older girl lets Ginny sneak into her bed that night so that she doesn't have to face the nightmares alone.

* * *

It doesn't stop, the pointing and staring and whispers from the other students. Ginny pretends to ignore it but Hermione can tell it bothers her. The brunette cannot begin to imagine what Ginny is going through but she does know something about being an outcast. The girls in her year have been known to make fun of her bushy brown hair and the large teeth that her parents tell her she will grow into. Hermione doesn't think teeth are something that one "grows into" but she doesn't bother arguing with her parents. Though she doesn't much care about appearances she is not made of stone and it hurts to have her peers reject her. Her young friend is being cast out for much different reasons but the fact is that none of what happened last year was Ginny's fault.

Ginny becomes an expert at sliding on a mask of indifference when students mutter about how she should not have been allowed back. She sits alone in her classes and while other students are socializing Ginny spends her time in the library. Hermione has an impossibly full schedule but occasionally joins her in the library to study, helping the second year keep ahead in her classes. The fact that Ginny is the top student in her year does not help her ingratiate herself with her peers. Late at night, behind the safety of Hermione's bed curtains and an Imperturbable charm, the mask slides off and Ginny transforms back into a vulnerable twelve year-old girl who has been through more than her fair share of trauma.

* * *

Hermione does not like Quidditch but she enjoys going to the World Cup anyway and it has everything to do with the fact that she attends with Ginny. The youngest Weasley's enthusiasm is infectious and Hermione cannot help catching it. She remembers a bit about the sport from when she would read Ginny the Quidditch articles last summer but mostly she relies on the younger girl to provide her with real-time commentary and explanations. She loves to watch the way Ginny's face lights up at a particularly well-executed play or the way her eyes twinkle when she talks about her favorite players. Hermione did not see Victor Krum's famous Wronski Feint but she remembers that when it happened Ginny's smile was so bright it could have lit the entire Great Hall. When everyone is talking about it afterwards Hermione makes a mental note not to let Ginny practice alone when they get back to the Burrow because she is almost certain the girl will be trying the dangerous sounding maneuver.

* * *

Hermione is grateful to Ginny for helping her get ready for the Yule Ball. Neither of them wear make-up or dress up often but Ginny seems to know what she is doing regardless. The younger girl styles Hermione's hair using Sleekeazy's Hair Potion which tames her frizzy mane and allows for an elegant hairdo. Once they are both finished getting ready Hermione turns to her friend to ask her opinion on her final appearance. She is rendered speechless by the sight of Ginny in her light green dress robes. Ginny smiles at the older girl and tells her that she looks lovely, adding that Krum will be unable to resist her.

Once they are at the Ball they do not see each other again until Hermione is out getting some fresh air on the balcony. She is frustrated by Ron and although Krum is sweet she finds herself needing space from him. Ginny appears next to her and listens as Hermione vents her frustrations at how Ron treats her. Ginny comforts her and assures her that Ron is a git. Hermione's heart warms at hearing Ginny list all of her amazing qualities in her efforts to comfort the brunette. Before the two head back inside they hug and as they are pulling away the redhead pauses and then leans forward to plant a quick peck on Hermione's lips. The touch is so fleeting that Hermione feels she could have imagined it. Ginny heads inside immediately afterwards and Hermione is left standing alone on the balcony trying to calm her racing heart. The next day Ginny tells her about meeting Michael Corner and Hermione shares the story of her "first kiss" with Victor Krum. She wishes she could count Ginny as her first kiss but she is not sure how that would be received or what exactly it means.

* * *

At 12 Grimmauld Place the girls are roommates once more and Ginny is grateful to have Hermione around. Everyone else treats her like a child except maybe Tonks, but even the auror won't risk Molly Weasley's wrath to tell Ginny what is going on. It bothers Ginny that after she has been through so much at the hands of Tom Riddle her own family will not include in her in the meetings about the Order and about Voldemort. Hermione understands that this is Ginny's fight too and tells her everything in the privacy of their room. Sometimes hearing about Voldemort gives Ginny flashbacks but Hermione is always there to comfort her.

* * *

Hermione feels guilty that she is a little happy about Harry's Quidditch ban. Of course she doesn't think it is fair and hopes they reverse it but in the mean time she enjoys watching Ginny up on her broom in the stadium. She has never seen Ginny fly with other people but she is not surprised to see that the girl is a wonderful Seeker, although the younger girl tells her she would prefer to be a Chaser. Hermione nearly hexes some boys in the bleachers next to her who make several lude comments about how delicious Ginny's lean, athletic body looks in the Quidditch robes. Still the boys have a point and she can't help but admire how attractive her friend is as she darts around on her broom.

* * *

By day the Room of Requirement is used by Dumbledore's Army for official meetings and lessons. At night they sometimes sneak in for less noble purposes, after all they are only teens. Ginny and Hermione have their second kiss on one such night, during a game of Truth or Dare. Seamus Finnigan dares Ginny to make out with a fifth-year Gryffindor for two minutes. He is the only fifth-year Gryffindor boy there tonight and looks pretty smug about what he thinks is a clever way to get a kiss from the redhead. Ginny sticks her tongue out at him before crawling towards him from across the circle. Just before she reaches him she changes directions and heads for Hermione who is sitting two people to his right. She grabs the collar of Hermione's robes and pulls her in for a kiss.

This kiss is nothing like the peck on the balcony at the Yule Ball. The touch is not fleeting and Hermione is definitely not imagining it. Ginny's lips move gently against her own and she thinks about how this is much more pleasant than Krum's rough kisses. She is vaguely aware of somebody in the circle pointing out that a proper snog involves tongue and then she feels Ginny's tongue slide across her bottom lip, asking for entrance. Hermione parts her lips and can't help but let out a tiny moan as she discovers that Ginny tastes like strawberries. She feels Ginny smile into the kiss at the sound before the girl deepens the kiss and moans loudly into Hermione's mouth. As she hears cheering from the other students the older girl realizes that her friend is just putting on a show and she probably thinks that Hermione is doing the same. Ginny kisses her for a few seconds after Parvati calls time and pulls away slowly, licking Hermione's bottom lip one last time before crawling back to her seat. When someone asks Ginny how she liked the kiss she tells them it was brilliant and that Hermione tastes like vanilla.

* * *

Hermione visits Ginny in the hospital wing after the battle at the Department of Mysteries while the girl's broken ankle heals. She is in unusually high spirits after hearing that Ginny has dumped Michael Corner but it only lasts for a few minutes before the girl reveals that she has moved on to Dean Thomas. Hermione does not understand why the news upsets her so much. She ends up chalking it up to the fact that Dean Thomas is certainly not good enough for her friend.

* * *

Hermione is ecstatic when Ginny makes the Gryffindor team as Chaser and she cheers her friend on at every game. The older girl is seventeen now and she has come to accept that the feelings she holds for the fiery redhead are more than platonic. Sometimes when the two of them spend time together she thinks that Ginny may feel the same but it is so hard to be certain. The young Weasley has grown into quite an attractive and confident young woman who is admired, and desired, by almost everyone at the school. Hermione finds it hard to tell if the signals she feels Ginny is sending are due to reciprocated feelings or if they are simply a harmless product of the girl's bold and flirtatious personality.

As she watches Ginny step in for Harry in final match of the year against Ravenclaw, Hermione makes a decision. Tomorrow she will take Ginny aside and tell her how she feels. Now that she is no longer dating Dean Thomas it seems like the perfect opening. Hermione and Ginny are close friends and she knows that even if Ginny does not return her feelings their friendship will survive. It may be awkward and difficult to navigate for a while but the two of them are too close for anything like this to tear them apart. Hermione never gets the chance to tell Ginny because after the game she finds the object of her affection kissing none other than Harry Potter. She knows Ginny has had a crush on the Boy Who Lived for years and Hermione would never try to get between two of her close friends. She buries her feelings and resolves to try her best to move on and be happy for those two.

* * *

Hermione gives herself a once-over in Ginny's full-length mirror as they finish getting ready for Bill's wedding. She is wearing a beautiful lilac dress with matching heels and her brown hair is sleek and shiny - she has gotten much better at taming it. Ginny calls her away from the mirror to help zip the back of her golden dress. Hermione tries to ignore the butterflies in her stomach as she pulls the zipper closed over the milky white skin of Ginny's muscular back. Her friend turns to face her and ask her how she looks. Hermione's eyes roam her body for longer than is appropriate - taking in the sight of her exposed shoulders, lingering at the low-cut neckline, and marveling at her toned arms and legs. She manages to squeak out a comment about Ginny looking beautiful and her friend thanks her and replies in kind.

Hermione is sure to get in a dance with Ginny at the reception because she does not know when she will see the girl again. She wishes she could tell her how she feels before leaving but the timing is all wrong. Even though Ginny and Harry broke up they obviously still care for each other, Hermione and Ron caught them snogging on Harry's birthday. Instead of saying anything she takes comfort in dancing closely with her friend, enjoying her company before they must be separated. Ginny is a couple inches taller than Hermione but she lets the older girl lead, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder as they sway to the music. Kingsley Shacklebolt's patronus arrives while they are dancing and Hermione knows she must leave immediately. She can't help but give Ginny a quick kiss before she runs off to find Harry and Ron, disapparating to safety. She figures Ginny won't think much of it since the kiss was as quick as the one from the Yule Ball. Ginny will understand it was just her way of saying goodbye.

* * *

Hermione looks over to see Ginny walk into the Room of Requirement flanked by her brothers, Lee Jordan, and Cho Chang. She could care less about the others right now but she is overjoyed to see Ginny. The younger girl is obviously happy to see her as well, giving her a fierce hug before they are separated again. The next time they see each other, just a few hours later, a lot has happened. Hermione comforts Ginny as they both mourn the death of Fred. When Harry's seemingly lifeless body is brought before them Hermione screams in grief along with Ginny and she manages to hold the redhead back from rushing towards Voldemort and the Death Eaters who are laughing about it. In the ensuing battle she, Ginny, and Luna duel together against Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione nearly has a heart attack when she sees the killing curse narrowly miss Ginny and she is grateful to Molly Weasley for stepping in and finishing Bellatrix off.

In the aftermath of the battle Hermione is reluctant to leave Ginny's side. She is still appalled at how close the girl came to dying at Bellatrix's hands. She sits with arms around the younger girl's shoulders as they both take a moment to regroup. Hermione stares at the bodies lined up on the floor - Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Collin, Lavender, and rows of others she cannot immediately identify. A sob wracks her body as the enormity of what has happened hits her and she feels Ginny shaking beside her as well. They both cling together tightly and Hermione finds herself grateful that despite everything that happened she and Ginny still have each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny fiddles with the shiny silver badge affixed to her school robes as Headmistress McGonagall gives her speech welcoming students back to Hogwarts. McGonagall's voice is tinged with sadness as she asks for a moment of silence for the witches and wizards who lost their lives here in May. She feels Hermione squeeze her knee under the table while everyone has their heads bowed and thinks about how lucky she is that the brunette decided to come back to Hogwarts to do her seventh year. Hermione could have skipped it and had no trouble finding work in the wizarding world. Even if she hadn't wanted to be an Auror like Ron and Harry there is no shortage of people who would be eager to hire the brains of the Golden Trio. Ginny lays her hand over Hermione's to express her gratitude at her friend's presence and constant support. If Hermione hadn't returned to the Burrow after finding her parents then Ginny would not be doing as well as she is now. The redhead was a mess at the beginning of the summer due to the loss of Fred but Hermione had not allowed her to continue to mope about the Burrow. She had helped Ginny to understand that the best way for her to honor Fred and all the others who had laid down their lives was to continuing living hers to the fullest. A task that was easier said than done, but Hermione helped.

"I'm going to need that back now that the food has arrived."

The gentle whisper in her ear snaps Ginny out of her thoughts and she turns to see Hermione giving her a teasing smirk. It takes another second before she realizes Hermione is talking about the hand that Ginny has trapped against her own leg. She blushes as she pulls her hand away, freeing Hermione's hand so that they both can start dinner. They eat in silence and Ginny lets her mind wander back to the summer, thinking back to how ecstatic she was when Hermione told her that she had decided to go back to Hogwarts. She remembers the day they received their letters, both of them happy to find a shiny silver badge in their envelopes. Ginny's badge had been for Quidditch Captain and Hermione's was for Head Girl.

Ginny is excited for Hermione to be Head Girl but to be honest it makes her a bit anxious as well. With Hermione being in the same year as her Ginny had assumed they would be bunkmates, but the Head Girl had private quarters. They have spent nearly every night since Hermione had arrived in the Burrow in the same bed. When Hermione had first arrived Molly had set up a separate bed but after a couple nights where one of them would wake up with nightmares and the other would wake up to comfort them it just made sense to start sleeping in the same bed since they would end up together anyway. Ginny had been having nightmares about Tom Riddle ever since her first year and now Hermione would often drift off to sleep only to find herself at Malfoy Manor with Bellatrix Lestrange. They did not speak about their arrangement but both of them found that sleeping in the arms of a friend helped to ward off their nightmares and helped them to recover quickly if they did have one.

After dinner they start the trek to the Gryffindor Common Room with Hermione leading since she is the one who knows the password. Once they arrive Hermione reveals that the password is "pygmy puff" and everyone enters. Ginny changes into her nightclothes and then settles on a couch in front of the fireplace with her Charms book while Hermione herds the first-year girls up the stairs to show them their dorm. Ginny is just finishing a chapter in the book when Hermione comes back down the stairs and stands in front of her.

"Come with me to check out my quarters?"

Ginny nods and follows Hermione up the stairs where the Head Girl's quarter is at the topmost level. Hermione received the password with her letter and when she says "flabbergast" the door swings open. They are not sure what to expect upon entering the quarters but they are not disappointed. They enter into a small sitting room with a red leather couch and dark mahogany coffee table in front of a roaring fireplace. There is a desk in one corner with a bookshelf beside it, both the same dark mahogany as the coffee table. There are two other doors in the room, one leads to Hermione's private washroom and the other leads to the bedroom. The queen sized bed is fitted with deep red satin sheets and a gold quilt. There is another door in the bedroom leading to a walk-in closet in which Hermione's clothes are already hanging, barely taking up half of the large closet.

"Blimey, this is much nicer than I expected," Ginny murmurs in a shocked voice after they have explored the entire place and returned to the sitting room to settle on the couch.

"I know. It's a bit much," Hermione replies. "You know you are welcome here any time, right Ginny? You know the password, you can come and go as you please."

"Thanks 'Mione, I appreciate it."

Hermione smiles at the nickname before telling Ginny she will be right back so she can change into her own night gown. Ginny is probably the only person that can get away with shortening Hermione's name like that. When she comes back they both sit in silence for a bit before Ginny speaks.

"It's too bad Harry and Ron aren't here to see this."

Hermione nods but in reality both of the girls are relieved that the two boys decided not to come to Hogwarts. Ron kissed Hermione in the heat of the Battle last May and had expected the two of them to be a couple when Hermione arrived at the Burrow for the summer. Hermione had to explain to him that she hadn't pulled away because she was too shocked but that she did not feel that way about him. Ron had moped around for a while and things between him and Hermione had been strained. Similarly, Harry had tried to make up with Ginny now that the danger was over but she didn't take him back. She had gotten over him after the second time he broke up with her and realized that she had never really been in love with him to begin with. Harry did not take it well and although his reaction made more sense than Ron's it still caused a certain amount of tension. Hermione felt bad about Ron but Ginny insisted neither of them were responsible for the boys' feelings. Hermione was under no obligation to return Ron's feelings and Harry couldn't break up with Ginny and then expect that she would wait around to take him back whenever he wanted. The girls had really wanted to stay friends with the boys but for the moment distance was probably the best thing for all of them.

"I should probably head down to bed," Ginny finally says. "Don't want to fall asleep in class tomorrow. Wanna meet in the common room tomorrow morning and head down to breakfast together?"

"Right," Hermione opens her mouth to say something else but ends up closing it without speaking. She gives her friend a hug before somewhat reluctantly walking her to the door.

"Good night, Mione."

"Good night, Ginny."

* * *

Ginny is already awake when it is time to get out of bed, she hasn't been able to get back to sleep since she woke up from a nightmare a few hours ago. She makes her way to the washroom to brush her teeth and take a shower, stumbling past her peers without saying anything. Once she is dressed she heads down the stairs to find Hermione waiting for her in the middle of the room. She looks freshly showered but judging by the bags under her eyes she is not well rested.

"Nightmares?" Ginny asks sympathetically.

"Ugh yes. Is it that obvious?"

"To me it is. Anyway, we match."

Ginny points to the shadows under her own eyes and Hermione looks concerned but doesn't say anything. They walk down to breakfast together and sit at the Gryffindor table upon arrival. There are not a lot of students down but the tables are piled high with food and Ginny immediately scoops a mountain of eggs onto her plate and starts scarfing it down. Hermione looks on in amusement.

"I still don't understand how you can eat like that and still look like you do."

Ginny swallows and puts her fork down before answering, unlike a certain other Weasley child she does have table manners.

"Quidditch. All the training I do, both on and off the broom, keeps me pretty fit. But I just end up looking like a boy, you've actually got some curves."

Ginny may not actually look like a boy but her breasts are quite small in comparison to her friends and her frame is more slender, unlike Hermione's curvier hourglass figure. Hermione scoffs at her statement.

"Ginny you are an absolutely beautiful girl. Any boy at this school would be lucky to go out with you, and they all know it."

Ginny blushes as she looks down into her plate, pleased to hear her friend say such nice things about her. She has always thought Hermione was the one that any boy would be lucky to date - her friend is brilliant and attractive too. Her once bushy brown hair now falls in sleek, gentle waves down her back. Her skin has just a bit more color than Ginny's and looks as smooth as silk. Her womanly figure is something that the redhead has always envied and admired. Before Ginny can spend too much time thinking about Hermione's appearance they have to leave for their first class.

Classes are mostly uneventful, Ginny and Hermione studied ahead over the summer and have little trouble keeping up. The day flies by and when they get to the common room after dinner Ginny is absolutely exhausted, the lack of sleep last night catching up to her. She collapses on the couch in front of the fireplace and Hermione falls onto the couch next to her, resting her head on Ginny's shoulder. They both yawn at the same time, then Hermione speaks in a small voice.

"Ginny, would you...do you maybe want to…sleep in my room tonight?"

"That would be wonderful," Ginny smiles. "Let me just go change and I will meet you there."

Ginny runs up to her room to change, happy that she will be spending the night with Hermione once more. They only spent one night apart but it was enough for Ginny to know that she does not want to do it again and she is glad that Hermione asked. When she gets up to Hermione's quarters and lets herself in, Hermione has already changed and is in bed. She pulls back the covers for Ginny to climb in and the younger girl hops into bed. Ginny mirrors Hermione's position, laying on her side and facing her friend.

"Thanks for letting me stay here tonight. Last night was awful."

"Of course. I don't know why I didn't say anything yesterday, it would have saved us both a rough night."

Hermione lets out a yawn at the end of her sentence and turns to lay on her back. Ginny moves closer and lays her head on Hermione's shoulder, throwing an arm across her waist and pulling them both closer together. Hermione lets out a sharp breath but Ginny thinks she may just have startled the brunette with her actions. Ginny feels an unfamiliar warmth deep in her stomach as she snuggles further into her friend and drifts off to sleep.


End file.
